Method of and apparatus for printing on curved faced bodies



April 20, 1937. l. HAKOC-il 2,077,790

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON CURVED FACED BODIES Filed April27, 1935 l? a" 'I/IIIIIIIIIA VIIIIIIII/IIIIIII III/111111 INVENTOR. I,

lcmno HFIKOGI Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES zmmao METHOD OF ANDAPPARATUS FOR PRINT- ING ON CURVE!) FACED BODIES Ichiro Hakogl, mamYoshino-cho, Higashi-ku,

. Nagoya,- Japan Application April 27, 1935, Serial No. 18,499 In JapanJuly 25, 1934 9 Claims.

This invention relates to offset printing apparatus and has specialreference to a printing apparatus for oifset printing on hollow articlessuch as bowls or the like.

5 In printing of this character it is usual to employ a flexible blanketbut much trouble is experienced in causing such a blanket to fit closelyto all parts of the bowl or other article on which the impression istobe made.

10 One object of the present invention is to provide an improved form ofoffset printingapparatus wherein a close fit between the surface of thearticle receiving the printing and the blanket will be obtained.

15 A second important object of the invention is to provide novel meanswhereby the pressure of the blanket against the article receiving theimpression is uniform throughout.

A third important object of the invention is to 20 provide a novelconstruction for this purpose wherein the article itself will be heldfirmly in position during reception of the impression.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a novelconstruction of such a device 5 whereby all air-pockets or layers areremoved from between the blanket and the article whereon the impressionis to be made.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention con- 30 sists in general of certain noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specificallyclaimed.

' In the accompanying drawing like characters 35 of reference indicatelike parts in the several views, and: v

Fig. l is a cross-section through theimproved device showing an articlein position to receive the impression.

40 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of certain details of the inventionshowing the manner in which pressure is applied.

Fig. 3 is a semi-diagrammatic perspective view showing a form ofapparatus designed totrans- 45 fer theoriginal impression to theblanket,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modificationthereof.

In the form of the device as shown in Figs. 1, 2

and 3 it will be seen that the article upon which 50 theprintingimpression is to be made is illustrated at i. A clamping ring 2 ofsumcient size surround this article supports a blanket 3 which ispreferably made of rubber. Thepressing device consists of a plate 3'actuated by ,a 55 plunger 34: which is reciprocating by a suitablemechanism in a vertical direction. On the un derside of the plate 3'there is provided a cushion 4 which is preferably of sponge rubber andthe lower surface of 'which conforms, at least roughly,

to the interior of the bowl I. Connected with 5 the plate i is a suctionpipe 5 of extensible and flexible material which leads to any suitablemeans for producing a partial vacuum and this pipe5 extends downwardlythrough the cushion 4 as at 6. The blanket I is provided with an openingI which registers with the lower end of the pipe 5 upon the pressingdevice being depressed so that when the pressing device is depressed onthe blanket and the latter is forced into the article I a partial vacuumwill be produced removing the air from between the blanket and thearticle I and thus causing the blanket to fit closely throughout itsprinting extent into the article. In order to, hold the article inposition there is also provided a base l5 resting on a suitable supportit and 'at the center of this base there is provided a pocket [5'wherein is located a suction cup l2 which engages at its upper edgebeneath the center of the article or bowl i, and thus holds the saidarticle or bowl firmly on top of'the base i5. This suction is connectedby a pipe l3 to a suitable vacuum producing device,

not shown.

As shown in Fig. 3 the ring 2 is supported by clips 9 and 9' which areheld by pneumatic cyl- I inders 8, the ring 2 being revoluble on theaxis of one cylinder 8 so that the clip 9 is fixed to the ring 2 duringthe operation while the ring can slip in and out of the. clip 9' as itrevolves about the axis of the cylinder 8. Also the same cylinder thatcarries the clip 9 carries a clip 9a which supports an auxiliary ring 2'swinging into and out of printing position over a longitudinally movableinking platen 8a which travels beneath inking rollers 8'. The ring 2 andring 2 are 40 thus interchangeable in position. The cylinders 8 aresupported on a rocking frame l0 suitably mounted as at ill to allow theblanket, when the trated as extending in a plane acrossthe ring but"when theair is exhaustedbelow the sponge rubbar member Ii" the blanketwill fit into the bowl or article i as shown in dotted lines in thatfigure.

'At-:- the same time an maybe introduced at 5 from'a compressed air tankto produce pressure on top of the sponge rubber II' and thus insure acloser fitting. c

From the foregoing it will be seen that since the air is evacuated frombeneath the blanket 3 the latter is caused. to fit closely on theinterior of the bowl or article I. no matter what its shape, and in theform shown in Fig. 4 this is additionally aided by air pressure fromabove the sponge rubber member or cushion.

In operation after the impression from the transfer plate or platen 8ahas been received on the underside of the blanket the transfer plate ismoved to the right of Fig. 3 to pass beneath the inking rollers 8' andthe bowl or other article, as indicated at 'I, is placed in position andthere held by the suction cup l2; Then, through suitable manipulation ofthe pressing device 3' the blanket is forced downwardly and the suctionthrough the pipe 5 draws the air out from between the blanket and bowlor article and causes the blanket to fit throughout on the article thusgiving a uniform impression, this being assisted by the action of thesponge rubber cushion} as in-Fig. 1 and II' as in Fig. 4.. I

There has thus been provided a simple and efilcient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

in the form and construction of the invention without departing from thematerial spirit thereof.- It is not, therefore, desired to confine theinvention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it isdesired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

I claim:

1. In a device for the purpose described, a su porting ring, a flexibleand elastic blanket carried by said ring, a presser member verticallyreciprocable above said blanket and having a highly elastic cushionadapted to engage and depress said blanket, and a suction pipe extendingdownwardly through said presser member, said blanket having an openingtherein registering with the lower end of said pipe upon depression ofthe Presser member.

2. In a device for the purpose described, a sup Porting ring, a flexibleand elastic blanket carried by said ring, a presser member verticallyreciprocable above said blanket and having a highly elastic cushionadapted to engage and depress said blanket, a'suction pipe extendingdownwardly through said presser member, said blanket having an openingtherein registering with the lower end of said pipe upon depression ofthe presser member, and a pressure pipe opening into the presser memberabove said highly elastic cushion.

3. In a device for the purpose described, a supporting ring, a flexibleand elastic blanket carried by said ring, a presser member verticallyreciprocable above said blanket and having a highly elastic cushionadapted to engage and depress said blanket, a suction pipe extendingdownwardly through said presser member, said blanket having an openingtherein registering with the lower end of said pipe upon depression ofthe presser member, .and means tofirmly support an articleconcentrically below said ring 4. In a device for the purpose described,a supporting ring, a flexible and elastic blanket carried by said ring,a presser member vertically reciprocable above said blanket and having ahighly elastic cushion adapted to engage and depress saidblanket, asuction pipe extending downwardly through said presser member, saidblanket having an opening therein registering v depress said blanket, asuction pipe extending downwardly through said presser member, saidblanket having an opening therein registering with the lower end of saidpipe upon depression of the presser member, an article support mountedconcentrically below said ring, and a vacuum cup carried by said supportand engageable with an article on the support to hold the same firmlythereto.

6. In a device for the purpose described, a sup porting ring, a flexibleand elastic blanket carried by said ring, a presser member verticallyreciprocable above said blanket and having a highly elastic cushionadapted to engage and depress said blanket, a suction pipe extendingdownwardly through said presser member, said of the presser member, apressure pipe opening into the presser member above said highly elasticcushion, an article support mounted concentrically below said ring, anda vacuum pump carried by said support and engageable with an article onthe support to hold the same firmly thereto.

7. That method of offset printingupon curved faced bodies which consistsin stretching an elastic offsetblanket above the body, producing elasticoffset blanket above the body to receive the printing and in contactwith the rim thereof, thereby forming a tightly closed air space betweenthe surface of the body and the oifset blanket, evacuating the air fromsaid air space and thereby bringing the offset blanket into closecontact with the surface to receive the printing.

rcrnao HAKoI.

